So I am motoring along and I HEAR A hissing sound. I look at the muffler and steam is coming out of the center of the petcock on the 4-5 year old aqualift replacement muffler that I purchased directly from catalina. Turning it tighter or removing it made no d 8)ifference. Steam and fumes came out; no water. Anyway I stuck something temporarily down the center of the petcock opening and everything is fine. What was that all about? Cliff
Cliff : I ASSUME that you have a MKI C34???
You didn't mention what the engine temperature was doing or if you were getting water out of the exhaust. If the temp was going up?, I'll guess that you weren't getting enough or any cooling raw water?? Could have been a blade/s off the impeller, something stuck in the raw water intake or a water hose blockage.
I've never heard of steam coming out of the muffler drain!!
You should be able to get a new petcock from Catalina parts as they make their own mufflers. :think
A hissing sound and release of steam is not good. you have an overheating sitch.. danger , Will Robinson! Besides the defective petcock, You need to make sure you're pumping water and your thermostat is opening up. after you verify these two things if you still are blowing steam or running hot, you need to inspect and clean or replace your heat exchanger.. 8)
Water was coming out of the exhaust and according to the temp gauge everything was running cool. Thats is the big mystery. I let the engine run for a while and motored around a bit. It was probably steam and engine exhaust combination. Isn't the raw water at that stage still steam, until gets pumped out of the exhaust hose; which it definately was? you've got me worried now. Cliff
Cliff : If you want the readers to help you, it might be nice to inform us what hull # you have and which engine is installed --
ALL C34's are NOT alike !!!!!!!!!!!!!! :?: :?: :?:
Dere ain't no steam on OUR tugboats, mon.
A "hissy fit" of water may well sound or seem like steam. It could well be that your muffler drain valve hasn't been operated or lubricated by you in a LONG time.
Psst, psst, psst out of the small orifice of the muffler valve could well have seemed to be steam , but could merely be water spurting out, 'specially if the engine temperature is OK.
Let us know.
The reason Ron asks is this: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=1506.0
Its Hull #1022, a 1990 boat, the universal 25xp. I take the petcock out each fall when I winderize the boat.
Thanks, Clifford, you can add that info to your signature so you don't have to retype it.
Sure sounds like you just need a new valve.
Cliff : I've never heard of taking out the muffler drain plug for the winter!! Think that's part of your problem. With the anti freeze (1 or 2 gal) that you winterized the engine with, the muffler should be OK with almost pure anti freeze in it.
If you really have STEAM, then the engine is overheating!! The cause usually is lack of cooling raw water (impeller? clogged intake? crimped hose etc), but as mentioned the thermostat could be staying closed. However, a stuck thermostat will cause engine overheating and should show on the gage and cause STEAM to also come out of the exhaust. You need to do a bunch of checking.
There little pressure inside the muffler - just enough to push out the water/exhaust. :think
I put something into the center of the petcock to plug it up...where I guess the stem use to be. Engine runs fine and I used it for quit a run. Temp was 170 or so. what came out of the stem seemed to be steam but perhaps was exhaust and some steam. Plenty of water comes out the stern pipe too !!! Cliff c34, 1022
Cliff,
If your engine was running at the proper temp (not overheating), I'm guessing that what looked like steam was actually aerated water under pressure. With the pressure of the engine exhaust gas, combined with the water from the cooling system, being pushed out of a very small hole in the petcock, the water was aerated, sort of like what happens with a high pressure sprayer when your bottom is pressure washed. It sure looks like steam, but is not.
Cliff : As Tom so ably put it "I don't think you have a problem".
Get a new muffler plug/drain or clean up the old one you've got. Install it and leave it in for the winter!! :!:
Whether you leave it in or not, isn't opening it to drain the muffler a good idea when winterizing?
Mike : NO is the answer.
Part of the winterizing is to suck into and mix in the raw water system - w/anti freeze. That antifreeze then goes in to the raw water pump, then into the heat exchanger, then mixed with the engine exhaust gases into the muffler!! ALL OF THOSE ITEMS ARE NOW WINTERIZED!!
If you use a second gallon of anti freeze - you'll probably have pure antifreeze inside the HX & Muffler!! no need to leave any petcock open!!
A few thoughts
Do yourself or the next owner a favor and mark the open/close direction of the petcock. It's called dummy proofing.
A lot easier to do then replace the petcock.
Jim
Quote from: rmbrown on November 28, 2017, 09:07:50 AM
Whether you leave it in or not, isn't opening it to drain the muffler a good idea when winterizing?
Mike, you hit the common-sense nail squarely on the head.
Your mileage may vary, but once you run pink stuff thru the system and have checked to verify the protection level (freeze temp) there is no reason to necessarily leave pink stuff in the muffler. It serves no purpose.
In fact, there's two ways to winterize anything -- anti freeze it, or completely drain the water so there's nothing to freeze.
In the past when I was on the hard in the Buffalo tundra, I simply drained the system. Easy peazy and so simple to do rather than screwing around with buckets of antifreeze and hoses, and pumps and refractometers, and..... the best part .... no buying pink stuff that I am going to waste half of it out the transom to get the protection level, and then throw away the remainder in a couple months.
I mean really... pulling the sea water impeller and Hx cap to check/clean it of weeds was a ritual anyway. The exhaust hose was not an issue, as it drains both directions (back to the muffler and to the transom thru hull) so no water was left in it to freeze. And even if there was, it would only be a slight puddle, not a full hose that would burst. I chuckle at how the marine industry has brainwashed owners to go to the expense and trouble of running pink stuff thru our very simple sea water side that's actually (JTSO) easier to drain than to "winterize." YBYC, of course.
It's basically the SAME concept as winterizing the water heater, by draining it and using a bypass to avoid wasting your money filling the WH with pink stuff. Which BTW, I never did either -- I put the cash toward a one-time purchase of an air tank, and simply blew all water out of the potable water system .... and instead put my pink money toward strawberry margaritas.
ken
Not to hijack the petcock subject but, Ken's practice raised a question I have regarding winterizing.
Did you use the pink stuff for the head, waste lines etc. and if not, what was your winter prep for that?
Draining the engine, HX etc. was something I considered this year but went ahead and "pinked" it since I was right there pumping the head with pink stuff. I cleared the potable water lines with compressed air for the first time this year instead of having to flush the bejesus out of it next Spring to try and get rid of the residue.
-Bill
Quote from: Bill Shreeves on November 28, 2017, 07:44:27 PM
Not to hijack the petcock subject but, Ken's practice raised a question I have regarding winterizing.
Did you use the pink stuff for the head, waste lines etc. and if not, what was your winter prep for that?
Draining the engine, HX etc. was something I considered this year but went ahead and "pinked" it since I was right there pumping the head with pink stuff. I cleared the potable water lines with compressed air for the first time this year instead of having to flush the bejesus out of it next Spring to try and get rid of the residue.
-Bill
Bill,
Yes, pump the head dry and pump pink stuff from the bowl. The supply hose drains itself dry.
Not to further hijack the thread, but I've been waiting with baded breath for a write up and huge "reveal"? :-) Maybe over the winter?
ken
Bill : I never use the "pink " stuff in the engine. I always use the lowest temp engine anti freeze.
On your head winterization
If you still have the original Factory plumbing on your1987 here's what I do:
Close the head thru hull, flip the head to WET bowl, turn on the shower sump pump and pour pink anti freeze into the shower drain. Keep pouring until you see the pink stuff entering the toilet bowl. Flip to DRY bowl and give a few pumps to get the anti freeze into the head exit line.
You now have winterized the head and the shower drain systems!!
A few thoughts
Ron,
Isn't propylene glycol, the pink stuff without alcohol, supposed to be used for winterizing the raw water cooling side of the engine because of the environmental impact by ethylene glycol, engine antifreeze?
Great suggestion for getting the pink stuff to the head!
-Bill
Bill
The confusion is winterizing the "engine" vs the Hx loop.
The pink stuff doesn't actually touch the engine per se.
The engine coolant could also be the eco-friendly PG based (like the "Sierra" etc.) but not the pink stuff, which is food safe has no protective additives.
k
Ken,
True that the HX cooling loop on the Universal engine doesn't contact engine surfaces and therefore, winterizing that loop isn't winterizing the engine. I suppose I should be more specific going forward.
-Bill
Bill,
There is no guarantee that will keep you out of trouble. LOL
I think Ron was the only one that was confused
Clarification; Ron's solution only works for those who have not tee'd their head hose to the head sink drain thru hull, for fresh water flush purposes.
If you have made that relocation, then, as you would for a fresh water flush, close the thru hull and instead of water, pour the pink stuff in the sink and pump the head in "wet mode".
Regards,
Ed
Guys : If you look at WM/Defender, etc. you'll find the eco friendly "ENGINE" antifreeze. Usually in 2 different bottles depending on the "below freezing temperature" that you want to protect you engine to.
You'll also find the "PINK" potable anti freeze for the fresh water system.
As I mentioned ORIGIONAL plumbing winterization method for the head!!
A few thoughts